Bachna Ae Haseenon (2008). The killer arrived …

… and did not disappoint me.

For the second time in three years, I watched a movie in the theatre on 15 August. Couple of years back, it was this one. This time, I watched one that has been released today. First day, first show. I had found the promos interesting.

Simply put, it is about a man and his affairs over 12 years. The movie starts slowly, but picks up pace. He meets the first girl when he is fresh out of school and the last one when he has settled down in his career. Predictable is the storyline in that even without watching the movie, one knows the heroine whom the hero would fall for, and pursue ardently. Surprising is the great chemistry between Raj - Radhika, and Raj - Gayatri.

Mahi (Minissha Lamba) is heart-broken that her love story, that came so close to mirroring a movie she believed in, ends swiftly. She then gets married to a man who loves her, but is unable to believe in love after the heartbreak. Years later, the man who broke her heart comes back to apologise, and helps her believe in love again.

Radhika (Bipasha Basu) is the best played character. A girl from Ranchi, she dreams of making it big on the big screen. When the man she loves does not turn up on the day of their wedding, she is devastated. Her career then becomes all important and she reaches the top. Losing herself in the process. When he comes to apologise to her, she makes him work for her forgiveness. Grants it, and allows herself to move on.

Gayatri (Deepika Padukone) is self-made and very independent. There is no reason given for her lack of interest in getting married (in the first half), and why a dramatic transformation occurs (in the second half). She makes full use of the time allotted to her, and “Khuda Jaane” stands out. Blessed with a bewitching smile and elegance, her screen presence is reminiscent of Ms. Dixit.

And finally Raj Sharma (Ranbir Kapoor). Has no pretensions, little depth, and plenty of money. I have watched Ranbir's debut film, and was impressed with his comic timing (that is put to good use here), and originality for a newcomer. The change in his body language as he grows older is captured well, and the bespectacled hero who makes games for a living is admittedly charming.

Bachna Ae Haseenon. My employer should consider taking the staff out for this movie, for the building in Sydney makes an appearance here.

Watch it once.

Yash Raj Films

Welcome to the world of peaches and cream. Where parents are mostly understanding and youngsters don’t have to work for a living. Where the only problems faced by the protagonists are matters of the heart. Where pretty ladies clad in chiffons lip-synch to good music and dance on snow-capped mountains. Can you hear Dekha ek khwaab playing in the background?

The mood is set.

My introduction to this banner happened with Chandni. We got transferred to Chennai in 1989, and this was one of the first movies we watched there. I couldn’t for life imagine why the exquisite, chirpy Sridevi would fall for either Rishi Kapoor or Vinod Khanna.

In 1997, I saw girls going gaga over the clothes worn by Karisma Kapoor in Dil To Pagal Hai (even as they envied her perfect figure) while I was trying to understand why the box-office was so fair to Shahrukh yet again, when this was a movie he did not believe in. I couldn’t believe my favourite heroine was mouthing lines that went, “Uparwala hum sabko jodiyon mein banata hai. Bas unka milna hum pe chod deta hai.”

Over the years, I have watched several Yash Raj movies. I have realized why Amitabh Bachchan is the man he is. Why Yash Raj must be perennially indebted to Shahrukh Khan. And there was such a thing as a good script in some of the films. Especially in those directed by Yash Chopra, and produced by others.
Where are things going wrong now?

Yash Raj has become a family affair. Belong to the family, by work or birth, and you are part of us – and the audience will get to watch you and your work for sure. Stars, which other banners would not touch with a barge pole, are part of the family. Should I spell names? Uday Chopra is one. Jugal Hansraj is another. I sadly add Rani Mukherjee to this list now.

Too much skin, and a lack of attention to details and content is seen. There are more films being produced and distributed, and the father-son duo direct very few of them. Scripts and promotion activities of every film are not in their control. When I saw the first promo of Chak De (when I went to watch Jhoom Barabar Jhoom), my heart sank at the thought that this would be a Yash Raj film with SRK that would flop. Yash Raj had to actually pull the promo off screens because of the poor response it received.

There is more competition than before. Low budget films with few stars and a good script are making a killing in the box-office. There are issues with multiplex owners on revenue sharing.

When you are in the business of selling dreams, and do a damn good job of doing so, why deviate from the basic script? When films with lower budgets get promoted aggressively and create a buzz before their release, what makes you think that your larger-than-life movies don’t require promotion? If you are paying your stars big money, why don’t you pay attention to the dialogues they are spouting? Or the stories they are narrating?

This year, I haven't watched a single film from the banner. This, when I form part of the captive audience who likes to watch the dreams Yash Raj sells. That believes in, “Sapne dekho, lekin unke poore hone ki shart mat lagao.” But if I continue to be treated like a fool and my senses are assaulted, I will no longer be supportive of you.

I shall watch JTYJN instead.

Right now, the songs of Bachna Ae Haseenon are playing all over. It has got two things right. One, the cast looks fresh. Two – it is getting promoted well, with a two month promotion programme in place. Irrespective of how it fares at the box office, it gives me hope that the team seems to have woken up from deep slumber.

I also hope to watch the film, and like it.